3 NATO Troops Killed In Afghan Attack

May 26, 2009 / 3:39 AM
/ CBS/AP

NATO forces said Tuesday that three international troops had been killed in a bomb blast in eastern Afghanistan.

Spokesman Lt. Commander Christopher Hall said their military vehicle was rocked by an explosion outside the capital of Kapisa province on Tuesday. He confirmed the deaths and wounded but did not provide further details on the incident or the troops' nationalities.

The Afghan Interior Ministry, however, confirmed to CBS News' Fazul Rahim that a suicide bomber had rammed the troops' vehicle. The ministry official said three foreign soldiers were killed, one injured, and that three civilians were also killed in the blast.

While the ministry also declined to give the nationality of the troops involved in the incident, the majority of foreign forces on patrol in Eastern Afghanistan are from the United States.

"ISAF (International Security Assistance Force - Afghanistan) mourns the loss of these three brave service members and wishes a quick recovery for our wounded colleague," Captain Mark Durkin, an ISAF spokesman said in a written statement. "We will continue our work to defeat the indiscriminate IED tactics that threaten Afghans and international soldiers, as we assist Afghans in their fight against the insurgency."